Avoiding Accountability By Way Of Deception

By Jude Fernando –September 20, 2015 

Jude Fernando

GOSL, UNHRC & The Humanity: Will Altruism Prevail Over Narcissism? – Part II

The UPFA government used many deceptive strategies to avoid domestic and international calls for credible inquiry into the allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses. The present cohabitation government’s “strong intent” to address the demands for transitional justice is also extremely vulnerable to same deceptive strategies. Below I continue to the discussion on these strategies.

Deception #4 Pointing the Finger at the “other”

UPFA government avoided addressing the demands for accountability by pointing at the hypocrisy of those countries that supported the UNHCR resolutions. The motive of UPFA regime was to make the majority community feel better about itself and to justify not taking responsibility for its own actions. By blaming the others, the regime covered-up its’ lack of interest in addressing the profound effects of memory of the war on individual and collective consciousness. The regime blamed and humiliated the victims and those came forward to assist them. In the process the perpetrators of alleged crimes also became victims as they were denied an opportunity to clear their names or come to terms with their guilt and trauma. Certainly, the international community did not lose its power and influence to navigate the domestic process of accountability.

It is well known that many of those countries that supported the UNHCR resolution follow double standards and discriminatory approaches with countries that are their enemies or not so relevant to their geopolitical interests, especially where human rights is concerned. They have avoided international accountability by not ratifying international conventions that are in place to safeguard human rights and sometimes, even by supporting groups that violate human rights. For example, UN Charters I and IV do not allow the war for the purpose of regime change. Geneva Conventions 1949 and 1977 prohibit initiation of invasions of other countries and directly involving or providing any form of support for wars of aggressions against foreign states. Powerful countries often violated these treaties as they command greater leverage to manipulate and avoid compliance with treaties to serve their selfish interests. If the GOSL is sincerely committed to accountability to its own people and to good governance, then it should not follow footsteps or enlist the support of these powerful countries are disrespectful of international t treaties. At the same time we must acknowledge that in a number of instances, these powerful countries publicly acknowledged and apologized for war crimes, conducted domestic inquiries and punished a few who were found guilty.
It is useful, in this case, to look at an example that was more judiciously handled: President Bush called the allegations of abuse of Iraqi soldiers in Abu Ghraib “abhorrent” and promised to punish those responsible for them, even after Specialist Joseph Darby, a member of the U.S. Army’s Military Police Corps, delivered a CD full of documentary photographs to the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Antony Taguba’s report of investigations into abuses at Abu Ghraib, internally released March 12, concluded that U.S. soldiers committed “egregious acts and grave breaches of international law.” These acts were “sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses” and included “keeping detainees naked, pouring cold water on naked detainees, using military dogs without muzzles to intimidate and frighten, and threatening detainees with loaded guns.”

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Collective Cabinet responsibility to be strictly enforced ahead of difficult decisions

Code of Conduct being formulated

by Zacki Jabbar-September 19, 2015, 8:11 pm 

Collective responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers which had been taken for granted is to be enforced strictly with a code of conduct  being formulated ahead of difficult decisions that the government would have to take in the coming months.

A Cabinet sub Committee has been appointed to draw up the Code of Conduct and the Ministers would be called upon to swear allegiance to it within one month of the written document being finalized, government sources said yesterday.

The proposal mooted by President Maithripala Sirisena comes  ahead of tough measures he would have to implement  including the establishment of a Hybrid Special Court that the Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) has called for, based on the investigations conducted by his office into allegations of serious crimes committed  in Sri Lanka between February 21, 2002 to May 19, 2009, the period relating to the last stages of the war  between government forces and the LTTE.

The sources observed that a written Code of Conduct  had became necessary, to deal with various other  post-war issues including the investigation of massive frauds and corruption that had been perpetrated under cover of prosecuting the war. This was one of the recommendations in the UNHCHR’s Report.  

Clause 42(2) of the Constitution stipulates that Cabinet Ministers are collectively responsible to Parliament for cabinet decisions. But the President’s proposal for a Code of Conduct in addition to the existing constitutional provision had been necessitate taking    into consideration difficulties encountered in the past due to non-implementation of certain decisions that would have benefited the country and its people in the long term, Government Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said.

The President’s cabinet paper, he noted, was also aimed at establishing a new moral political culture based on good governance and  safeguarding the tradition of collective cabinet responsibility.

Senaratne said that massive frauds and corruption that had been perpetrated under the guise of prosecuting a war would also receive due attention of the special court to be established.

The UNHCHR had not named any individuals but called for a credible domestic investigation into the accusations that had been leveled, he observed noting that there was no conclusion that war crimes had been committed.  

The Minister said that the UNHRC by calling for a Hybrid Special Court, integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators had only reiterated the need for an independent domestic mechanism assisted by foreign judges that could ensure justice for the affected persons regardless of the community they belonged to.

The government while assuring the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights(UNHCHR) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, that his office’s  Report and recommendations would receive due attention emphasized that it represented a human rights and not criminal inquiry.

"We will ensure that its content as well as recommendations receive due attention of the relevant authorities, including the new mechanisms that are envisaged to be set up," Senaratne said.

Government has also agreed on continued engagement with the UNHCHR as well as its systems and procedures aimed at upholding the human rights of all Sri Lankans.

Pledging to ensure non-recurrence of the  allegations of rights violations, the Sirisena - Wickremesinghe coalition  pledged it would commence a dialogue with all stake holders, especially victims of the conflict, communities, political parties, civil society representatives, military, bilateral partners and other international organisations in establishing mechanisms and measures that would  facilitate the right to know, right to justice, reparations and guaranteeing non-recurrence with a view to  achieving reconciliation and durable  peace.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who represented  the country  at the  opening of the 30th Sessions of the UNHRC in Geneva  earlier this week, told a news conference in Colombo on Thursday,  that a ‘four-tier mechanism’ would be established in conformity with the UNHCHR recommendations.

"Consultations with the relevant parties aimed at establishing the proposed mechanisms would commence in October. It would be finalized in January 2016 and implemented within 18 months. We have undertaken this journey not because of international pressure, but since there is no other way", he added.

What next at UNHRC: Govt. ponders its options

By Our Political Editor-Sunday, September 20, 2015

• US and Sri Lanka in dialogue to work out new resolution to be presented on Sept 30
• President pledges tough action against “Gang of Five” trying to provoke the security forces on Geneva issue
• Serious charges against former regime and LTTE, but Mangala says hot potato is not too hot

Days ahead of the official release of the report on alleged war crimes by troops and Tiger guerrillas, the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera were in regular telephone contact.
In one such phone call from Geneva to Samaraweera in Colombo, Zeid said the investigation report of the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), tagged the OISL, would be made available to the Government of Sri Lanka five days ahead of the official release. He said his immediate concern was the need to maintain strict secrecy of the contents until they were made public, officially.

The full text of the latest US draft can been seen here

What Next at UNHRC Govt. Ponders Its Options by Thavam Ratna

A voice raised for the 60,000 people who were killed including Wijeweera

Sep 20, 2015

Political analysts point out the importance of forming a fact finding commission to the civil struggle conducted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna during the middle of 80’s which killed nearly 60,000 people. Chitranganie Wijeweewa wife of the founder of JVP Rohana Wijeweera has already lodged a complaint to the Sri Lanka Police about her husband’s death. Political analysts say that it would be appropriate to hold a commission to investigate the people who died during the struggle.

Although 26 years has elapsed following the murder of Rohana Wijeweera nobody has demanded an investigation for the crime committed. Major Janaka Perera and his team were able to arrest Rohana Wijeweera who disguised himself as a tea superintendent in an area in Ulapane on 12th November 1989. Later he was produced to the then defense minister Ranjan Wijerathna and decided to execute the latter. Then reports stated that he was shot inside the Borella cemetery and burnt alive. 

 

Recently his wife lodged a complaint to the police headquarters about her husband Nandasiri Wijeweera alias Rohana Wijeweera’s arrest and murder. Following taking a statement IGP Ilangakoon has advised her to lodge the complaint to the CID office in Colombo. Reports reaching us conforms she has made a complaint to the Colombo Crime Division.

 

However JVP following the entry in to active politics in 1994 has never demanded a fact finding commission or an alternative solution for the murder of its leader, the killing of its 60,000 party members, relatives and citizens who were not involved for this conflict but affected. On the 17th of this month the JVP urged the government to establish a Truth Commission for the people who were killed in the northern conflict. JVP’s national list MP lawyer Upul Kumaarapperuma stressed an opinion to present a bill in the parliament for the people in the north who were affected for the past 30 years due to war and for all people who underwent severe hardship during the war to present their grievances, to learn the truth and to provide relief for the people affected in order to promote national unity and reconciliation and to establish a fact finding commission. (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). 

 

On the 16th of this month the UNHRC released a report about the investigation conducted against Sri Lanka for the complaints received about the violations of human rights and war crimes during the northern conflict. The report would campaign a fact finding commission, exercise equitable justice to the people affected, paying compensation and actions taken for none the recurrence of a similar incident. 

 

Based on Citranganie Wijeweera’s complaint political analysts have shown that there is a space opened to establish a Truth Commission to ascertain what happened during the 1987-89 period. By exercising this there is an opportunity to find the truth about the murders of Vijaya Kumarathunga, Daya Pathirana, Nandana Marasinghe, Premakeerthi De Alvis, Themis Guruge and Sagarika Gomes alleged to be committed by the rebels. Political analysts stress on this context there would be spaces opened for discussions and take relevant measures to prevent a recurrence of an unpleasant happening again.

 

In order to release the security forces from crimes committed a bill “releasing from accountability“ was presented to the parliament in 1987 and all members of the security forces guilty of crimes were released . However currently there is an effort on the way to pardon the crimes conducted by the security forces during the northern conflict. It would be the responsibility of the current government to find the truth and prevent such a recurrence happening in the north or in the south for the crimes conducted by the deployment of official and unofficial armies. 

 

Wijeweera’s family abandoned 

 

Meantime the Sri Lanka navy has told the wife and the children’s of Wijeweera family in writing to leave the house they were residing inside the Welisara naval base. The family has to vacate the house by October 1st. After the arrest and murder of Rohana Wijeweera, following a request made by the government to surrender, Rohana Wijeweera’s wife and five children’s (She was pregnant during the time) surrendered to the government and kept inside the Ganemulla army camp. Later the family was transferred to the Trincomalee naval camp and following many hardships for so many years they were again transferred to the naval camp in Welisara in 1999. Last February 26th the navy commander has announced the Wijeweera family to leave and vacate the house they were living in the navy camp.

 

So far nobody has come forward to help the Wijeweera family which underwent many insults, hindrances and insecure for the past 26 years and recognized that there is no secure place for them to go. 

 

The Wijeweera family and his children’s has requested the current government to facilitate them to live in a foreign country in order to resolve the problematic situation for them to live in Sri Lanka. Although the family has made a written request to the foreign minister on the 20th of March 2015 so far there is no response. Mrs. Wijeweera has stated the hindrances she and her family underwent for the past 26 years and the education problems her bright children’s went through, in the long letter she wrote to the foreign minister. She has said that due to the unjust conducted by her husband and the JVP her children’s were alleged and criticized for so many years. She said her children’s are not responsible for the hindrances committed by the JVP. She further said there are no allegations against the JVP leaders for the hindrances they caused but unfortunately her children’s have to suffer. She said the JVP has never involved in freeing her children’s and alleged the JVP trying to take political advantage using her children’s.

 

-  Sathhanda

Translated by Ali Asgar

Goodbye Colombo Or Is It Hello?

By Ranil Senanayake –September 20, 2015 

Ranil Senanayake

The media informs us that the port city agreement has been extended for another six months. What does this mean? What will happen during this time period? Will it be to correct the shortcomings and produce a credible Impact Report or will it entail the restarting of physical work? If it is the former we can have some hope of justice, if it is latter it will be an act of great betrayal.

In a sense the so-called Port City project serves as a litmus test of the new government. There was an inquiry set up to report on the impact of the ‘Port City’ but that has gone silent, there has been no discussion or release of their ‘report’ to the public. When will the government begin to institute open transparent processes, especially when dealing with matters of national importance, are we still in that dark era of closed door deals or will we insist on a scientific, credible, environmental impact reports. The current pathetic excuse for an impact report needs no further comment.

While we await unilateral decisions of our so-called ‘democratic’ leaders. It is useful to reflect on the price that we Sri Lankans will have to pay for any ill informed decisions on their part. Let us consider one of the most basic of human needs, in fact, a need that should be enshrined as a fundamental human right, the right to breathable air. The medical studies on the city of Colombo indicate at about 60% of the citizens living there suffer some degree of respiratory problems currently. This statistic is a consequence of the quality of air that we have to breathe. Can we expect the same forces that allowed such a situation to arise, thinking about the impact the proposed ‘Port City’ will have on the population of Colombo?

A multi story barrier to the clean ocean breeze that Colombo currently enjoys, will be shut off forever. In its place the Carbon monoxide, Ozone, dust and PM2.4 will increase. There is no reference at all in the port city project documents available to us that addresses, blocking the inflow of fresh air into Colombo. There is nothing in the documents that indicate the levels of Carbon monoxide, PM2.4, Oxides of Sulfur and Nitrogen that will be produced by the port city. There are no studies to indicate how these pollutants will flow and if they will affect the citizens of Colombo. Does the agreement extension for six months cover any of these aspects? Or will these concerns be ignored and the rate of respiratory diseases in Colombo go up to 90% or even higher?

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While Maithri and Ranil grope after mixing milk and excretion pots, MaRa villains make merry – another pro MaRa judge appointed

(Lanka-e-News -20.Sep.2015, 11.00PM) By trying to mix the fresh milk with stale excretion  to form a united government , it is only the old racketeers , corrupt and criminal characters of the MaRa regime who are standing to gain. They are enabled to  continue  practicing  their  cardinal sins without let or hindrance. What is making matters worse is the failure so far   to release the gazette notification laying down the subjects and duties  allocated to the ministers . This has paved the way for  the pro MaRa villains  and corrupt henchmen  to make hay while the sun shines. They are on the sly strengthening and entrenching themselves in various positions steadily .

A case in point is the incident that took place in the district court. A most incompetent stooge of a  judge , a pro MaRa bootlicking lackey  was  appointed to the district court No.1 .

The name of this judge is Thusith Gunasekera .In seniority ladder he is on  a low rung .The No. 1 district court is important because all political cases are taken up by  this court. Hence appointing a pro MaRa judge to this court is a conspiratorial move to ensure in the future , decisions are given in favor of MaRa supporters and stooges in respect of their cases.

Notorious Thusith is a shameless bootlicking lickspittle of MaRa . When he married a second time in February, it was none other than the deposed presently people discarded Mahinda Rajapakse who was the attesting witness, which alone bears testimony how close is Thusith to MaRa and  in all unscrupulous and sordid activities. 

Besides , Thusith is a bosom pal of Thilina Gamage the notorious elephant rogue. He is the pro Rajapakse bootlicker  who made overt and covert  moves to defeat the resolutions adopted by the Judges association during the period of the impeachment.

Thusitha ‘s appointment to the district court overlooking seniors who are more suitable, is an absolute MaRa conspiracy is further confirmed by the fact that the acting secretary to the judicial service commission wanted to steer him to that position. This secretary is the son of  MaRa’s  former organizer for Chilaw. Obviously ,  all the thieves of MaRa’s den got together to carry out this conspiracy .

The Rajapakses who politicized the judiciary and  public service during the last over a decade  appointing all their corrupt lickspittles  and lackeys  , are now  taking advantage of the pro MaRa  environment created this long,  to sabotage and cripple the present government of good governance.

Meanwhile Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe oblivious of  all these conspiracies , after spilling the milk pot and the excretion pot , are  swimming in the spoilt spilt milk in search of jewels  to adorn their government of good governance.

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by     (2015-09-20 18:44:49)

Let’s defeat pathological racism

Don’t funk MR and accommodate peddlers and crooks

Not enough seminal stuff to call MR’s bluff!

by Kumar David-September 19, 2015, 7:54 pm 

A deputy minister appointed on 9 September is widely believed to be connected to the heroin trade. He has not been convicted in a court, hence entitled to his rights, but what government disinclined to suicide appoints such people to ministerial positions? Another is said to have imported ethanol for moonshine; thugs and crooks are alleged to be dime a dozen. Ali Baba was not the only one with forty associates of disreputable genre! What will be the state of mind of the police, law and order personnel, and the courts, faced with this surrender by president, prime minister and their confidants (CBK, UNP bigwigs, SLFP flotsam)? There were bad eggs the previous week as well; the foul-mouthed thug who ruined higher education is now "empowering" something or the other, there is a bookie in the House and someone made billions from petroleum. Are slots reserved for deadly-Dougie and debauched-Thonda?

Let’s Defeat Pathological Racism Don’t Funk MR and Accommodate Peddlers and Crooks by Thavam Ratna

Revenue central to Budget 2016 - IMF

• Says good time for new Govt. to push forward tax reform
• SL likely to miss 2015 deficit target, 5.5% advocated for 2016
• Engagement to continue, no new program requested 

IMF Staff Mission Leader Todd Schneider  - Pic by Lasantha Kumara

By Uditha Jayasinghe-Monday, 21 September 2015
As the Government puts together the nuts and bolts of Budget 2016 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put the onus squarely on increasing revenue to create fiscal room for investment, growth and debt repayment, especially since Sri Lanka is likely to miss its 2015 deficit target.  
Winding up a staff mission to Sri Lanka on post-program monitoring, Todd Schneider insisted the new National Government had a good opportunity to evaluate public revenue generation, particularly the tax structure, and find ways to broaden its base and restructure administration.
Revenue is even more important give risks to outlook are tilted to the downside with more volatile external financing conditions resulting from the expected monetary policy tightening in the US and uncertainties over growth prospects in emerging markets, the IMF said.  
“Revenue should be the main focus of the next Budget. We are on the same page as the Government authorities that fiscal consolidation is necessary. The debt dynamics are very much in favour of the need for an increase in revenue,” Schneider told journalists at the end of his evaluation visit.  
Schneider also rejected claims the Sri Lankan Government had asked for a fresh program of $ 4 billion, pointing out it would be 700% of IMF quota to Sri Lanka. The Government still owes the IMF 200% of its quota for the previous standby agreement.  
He pointed out deficit reduction over the past few years came largely from expenditure cuts, in the backdrop of revenue declining as a share of GDP. 

“Where Sri Lanka is right now is not a comfortable position. It has one of the lowest tax to GDP ratios in the world. This is why we keep hammering on the issue and it also creates the environment for a growth and investment friendly consolidation,” he added.
“The mission agreed with the authorities on the need to take immediate and credible steps to re-establish fiscal consolidation and reduce public debt. The mission projects a fiscal deficit in the range of 5.5-6%of GDP in 2015—higher than budgeted and financed mainly by domestic borrowing.” Budget 2014 targeted a deficit of 4.4%.
The 2016 budget is an opportunity to shift decisively back to a durable medium-term path of fiscal consolidation and to set macroeconomic priorities for 2016 and beyond, believes the IMF.
The mission strongly recommended keeping the 2016 fiscal deficit to 5.5% of GDP—and to base consolidation on a combination of expenditure restraint and durable revenue reforms.  It also emphasised the need to eliminate tax exemptions, tax holidays and reduced rates as the most important component in a strategy to make the tax system simple, fair and efficient.
“The diversity of rates within the system is so varied its almost impenetrable and there are so many exemptions Sri Lanka is effectively relying on the very narrow base and it is not necessarily those who can afford it.”
The IMF noted it would continue engagement with the Government ahead of the Budget.
“The mission welcomes the authorities’ attention to the need for market-based structural reforms and efforts to reinvigorate key initiatives. Fuel and electricity pricing, subsidies, trade policy, liberalisation of factor markets (particularly land) and the investment environment are areas that could play an essential role in sustaining high rates of economic growth.”
The IMF also commended putting state firms on a commercial footing, allowing them to make market-based financial decisions including pricing and subjecting them to the greater financial discipline will also help to reduce risks to the budget and the financial system.

Is Drinking Water From River Kelani Suitable For Human Consumption?

By Sarath Wijesinghe –September 20, 2015

Sarath Wijesinghe

Water is only next to air for the living of the Human Being. Contaminated water will cause diseases and even death if precautions are not taken to purify water for human consumption. Animals too need water for existence but the degree of purity differs. They are more resistive on contamination. Today water is purified in large scale with modern technology and preventive measures are taken to purify water Rivers, Lakes and other catchment areas providing drinking water. Rivers and water resolvers are constantly purified by the State or the agents and monitored to provide pure drinking water to the citizen. Water is State property unless privatized. In Sri Lanka people have resisted attempts of privatization of water which is the most important, beautiful and productive National wealth. “Kelani” River is the main catchment natural water for the Greater Colombo consumers.

Water from “Kelani River”

There were recent disturbing reports of contamination water from “Kelani” River which is one of the most beautiful and the most polluted major river in Sri Lanka. Water is contaminated due to large number of factories and industries around and on the banks of the river releasing by products and dangerous chemicals freely to the river. Despite the stringent regulations and requirements to obtain certificates from the Government statutory bodies such as Central Environmental Authority, Water Board, Local Authorities, Consumer Affairs Authority, Police Grama Sevakas, Human Rights and Non-Governmental Organizations campaigning for human rights, and many other statuary/Government bodies contamination/pollution continues undisturbed and uninterrupted. Recently it was reported that Coca-Cola, one of the major powerful and rich multinational organizations was responsible for the contamination of the river with chemicals, factory by – products and oil patches resulted in pollution of water in the Greater Colombo area. It was further reported that the Central Environmental Authority has imposed a fine of One billion rupees for the damages caused to the filters and machinery amounting to billions and large scale contamination violating the agreement, environmental requirements and regulations. It is a criminal offence to release s large or small amounts of poison to the river. To date no precautionary measures have been taken to arrest the situation which is hazardous to the health of the citizen. We are not aware of steps taken by any statuary body under Criminal or Civil Procedure, Environmental Authority Law or any other law regulation for practices to date to arrest/correct the situation. The news is that the companies have been given a mere warning letter seeking an undertaking to be cautious in future. Had this taken place in a western country or even in India results would have been disastrous to the accused companies. Ironically the offence is continuing to be committed to date. Amounts involved are billions of rupees / dollars and there are suspicions on series of events steps taken/not taken and statements issued on this major disaster which involves the health of the consumers depending on the statute bodies for pure drinking water.Read More

Lalith Weeratunge ex presidential secretary let off the hook on Rs. 600 million fraud..! by judge Kusala aided by IGP

(Lanka-e-News -20.Sep.2015, 6.40PM) The High court judge Ms. Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena and IGP Ilangakoon together have indulged in legally wrongful actions to allow Lalith Weeratunge the ex secretary to former president corrupt brutal Mahinda Rajapakse to escape from being taken into custody in the allleged fraudulent abuse of State funds amounting to a colossal Rs. 600 million ! belonging to the Telecom regulatory commission , based on reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

This colossal sum of people’s monies was outrageously and unlwfully  spent on distribution of Sil robes as part of  the election campaign of Mahinda Rajapakse as though those were funds pilfered from the private coffers  and dowry collections of  Lalith and Mahinda.

A case was filed on the 18th in the Colombo high court against Lalith Weeratunge and SLT regulatory commission chief  Anusha Pelpita . Most strangely despite this colossal fraudulent transaction involving Rs. 600 million public funds , the  two suspects  were not arrested . They were let off the hook by judge Kusala Abeywardena by issuing only a notice on them requesting the suspects to be present in court on 6 th October.

This was an absolutely wrongful and unlawful action on the part of the judge. Under ordinary circumstances, truly  under the law , such suspects involved in such a massive fraud ought to be ordered to be arrested and produced before court . 

Yet , Kusala had taken the faltering and most obnoxious step of issuing just an ordinary notice on the suspects .The advice given by the Attorney general however was to arrest both the suspects .The AG on the other hand had also acted unlawfully , and averted the arrests .

It is learnt , Lalith Weeratunge the culprit had phoned the IGP on the 18 th , and told him not to arrest him , and by 21 st Monday , do something and ‘shape’ it up. Accordingly , the two suspects involved in the massive Rs. 600 million fraud who should have been arrested and produced in court , were let off the hook under the government of good governance.

In this unlawful and manipulative  climate with Kusala playing the key role in the machinations  , allowing this case to be heard by her is like seeking a judgment from the daughter of the rogue, for Kusala a pro MaRa most disdainful lackey and lickspittle addresses the culprit Lalith Weeratunge as ‘uncle’ . Besides , Kusala alias ‘Ussala’ is another individual who received  maximum benefits for her services rendered from notorious Sarath N. Silva during his heydays .During the period of the impeachment motion against Ms. Shiranee Bandaranaike , she devilishly ,  directly and openly stood by the cruel and the crooked villains.

Already , even before the case is duly heard , Kusala has told the other judges ‘my uncle has not committed any wrong. Of course he appropriated public funds , but he did not use them for his purpose. He had again re distributed among the public after purchasing the Sil clothes.’ How can such a judge who is already prejudiced in favor of the accused be made to hear the case ? Perhaps that is possible only in SL under the government of goo…………d governance .

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by     (2015-09-20 14:19:10)

Israel checking its limits on al-Aqsa

The escalation in violence in Jerusalem may reflect another bid by the Netanyahu government to change the Temple Mount status quo 

Meron Rapoport-Saturday 19 September 2015

Israel has considerable reserve forces ready to be deployed in times of war. It used this tool during the high days of the 2000-2005 Second Intifada, during the war in Lebanon in 2006 and in the various military campaigns against Gaza.

Israel Checking Its Limits on Al-Aqsa by Thavam Ratna

Houthis release 6 foreign hostages

Armed men inspect the debris of buildings after a Saudi-led coalition air strike targeting Houthi-controlled Army General Staff offices in Sanaa, Yemen on 16 September 2015 (AA) 

Sunday 20 September 2015

Yemen's Houthi have released six foreign hostages, including three Americans, two Saudis and a Briton, Yemeni officials have said on Saturday. 

According to the AP news agency, the hostages were captured several months ago.

The six were expected to leave the country on board an Omani plane carrying rebel officials to Muscat for talks with the UN envoy to Yemen, the sources said.

Officials from the Houthi media centre refused to explain why they had detained the hostages. 

At least one of them is a journalist, whom they said "entered the country illegally" and "worked without notifying the authorities".

Houthi militias, that are fighting government troops assisted by a Saudi-led coalition, have seized much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. However, they have been on the retreat since July and have now been booted out of almost all of South Yemen. An analysts widely expect that the coalition and its supporters on the ground are now preparing to try and retake the capital. 

Meanwhile, in the western province of Ibb, Saudi-led air strikes on a security complex controlled by the Houthis killed 11 people on Sunday.

Witnesses and medics said that some of those who were killed were prisoners. Fifty people were wounded, they said. 

A first strike on the complex caused no casualties but a second strike hit as guards were evacuating some 300 detainees, the sources said.

The casualties on Sunday come after particularly heavy bombing rocked the capital overnight on Friday and Saturday. 

The United Nations says nearly 4,900 people - including at least 2,110 civilians - have been killed in Yemen since late March. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien has called the scale of suffering "almost incomprehensible".

Burkina Faso coup ‘to be reversed’ as violent protests continue

Mediators announce return to civilian rule after third day of unrest in capital Ougadougou

People protest in Ouagadougou on Saturday against the coup by General Gilbert Diendéré. Photograph: Sia Kambou/AFP/Getty Images

Burkina Faso-Saturday 19 September 2015

Burkina Faso will return to civilian rule and an interim government led by the president, Michel Kafando, will be reinstated, reversing a military coup, according to Benin’s president, Thomas Boni Yayi. 

“We are going to relaunch the transition under way – a transition led by civilians, with Michel Kafando,” he said on Saturday after meeting the coup leader, Gen Gilbert Diendéré, in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.

The announcement followed a third day of unrest as hundreds of protesters burned tyres and erected barricades in the streets of Ouagadougou.

Young people wielding sticks and slingshots dragged fences into the streets to block soldiers loyal to Diendéré, who was facing intense diplomatic pressure over Thursday’s putsch.

At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in street clashes with soldiers since the coup condemned by the US, France (the former colonial power) and the UN. Most of the casualties were treated for gunshot wounds.

Unlike on previous days, there was no sign of soldiers from the presidential guard in central Ouagadougou, although residents reported sporadic gunfire in the suburbs.

In the latest sign that support for Diendéré may be collapsing, the army chief, Gen Pingrenoma Zagré, joined national and international actors in condemning the violence.

In an effort to mediate an end to the crisis, the Senegalese president, Macky Sall, met Diendéré overnight.

A third round of talks, between Diendéré and Yayi Boni, began on Saturday.

“We need to create a dynamic of reconciliation and forgiveness and stop the violence,” said Sall, who is head of the west African regional bloc Ecowas.

Soldiers from the presidential guard stormed into a cabinet meeting on Wednesday and abducted Kafando and ministers, disrupting a transition period due to end with elections on 11 October

Kafando has since been freed and is in his residence, where he met mediators earlier on Saturday.

The coup leaders, calling themselves the National Democratic Council, opposed the interim government’s plans to dissolve the presidential guard and claimed the country faced instability after some candidates were barred from standing in the elections.

On Saturday, Diendéré repeated an earlier pledge not to remain in power for long.

“We simply want a set of proposals that allow us to get to the elections in all peace and serenity while assuring that the results are uncontested and incontestable,” he told France’s TV5Monde.

The African Union has suspended Burkina Faso’s membership and given leaders until Tuesday to restore the former government.

Burkina Faso, whose citizens toppled president Blaise Compaoré last year as he sought to extend his 27-year rule, had been seen as a model by pro-democracy campaigners across sub-Saharan Africa.

Under Compaoré, Burkina Faso emerged as a regional ally of France and the US against al-Qaida-linked militants, thought to be active in the north as well as neighbouring Mali.

Burkina hosts about 200 special forces as part of France’s Barkhane regional anti-terrorist operation, while Diendéré took part in US-sponsored regional counter-terrorism exercises in February.